An Indiana man will spend the rest of his life in prison for the murder of a woman who attempted to resell a watch he originally sold to her, West Virginia officials revealed late last week.
On January 30, Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Judge Thomas K. Fast sentenced Andres Minorune Torres, Jr., 29, to life in prison without the possibility of release. In October 2024, the defendant was convicted of first-degree murder, kidnapping, and robbery in connection with the February 2023 murder of Michelle Ann Smith, 41.
Amanda Soultz, 32, the killer’s accomplice in the case, pled guilty to one count of first-degree murder in December last year and is scheduled to be sentenced on February 11.
According to a press statement from the Fayette County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, the victim knew one of her murderers before they arrived in the Mountain State.
According to prosecutors, Soultz had lived in the neighborhood and met Smith there. Then, in January 2023, Soultz and Torres moved to West Virginia from Indiana.
Torres eventually needed cash. So he sold Smith a watch for $50, reportedly with the intention of returning it later.
Later, Smith attempted to sell the watch on Facebook. Torres “became angry” when he read the social media post and asked that the woman return the clock, according to authorities.
Torres and Soultz arrived at Smith’s home on Deepwater Mountain Road on February 16, 2023, and demanded that he return the watch. The victim, however, stated that the pawned watch had already been sold.
Finally, Smith would be attacked, restrained, kidnapped, robbed, shot in the head, discarded, and left to die in an abandoned vehicle.
“In their statements to police, both Soultz and Torres claimed that they had dinner with and had been drinking with Smith the night of February 16, 2023,” according to the lawyer’s office. “However, evidence from the crime scene did not support their claims that this was a friendly gathering.”
Torres “became enraged” as time passed inside the victim’s home when Smith said the coveted watch was missing, according to police enforcement.
So the couple restrained Smith with a set of handcuffs found in her bedroom. Torres then pummeled the helpless woman with his fists before whipping her with his handgun.
“Soultz and Torres then searched Smith’s residence for the watch,” according to the press statement. “The watch was eventually found and Torres became even more enraged and shot Smith in the head with a .45 caliber firearm.”
Smith’s son discovered her in a car outside of her home, still shackled and bleeding from the head, about 12 hours after the incident, after continuously attempting to call her and receiving no response.
“Michelle Smith suffered greatly and was never able to speak about what had happened the night she was shot,” according to a statement.
The woman was treated at Plateau Medical Center in Oak Hill, a tiny hamlet located a few miles east of the incident location.
According to law enforcement, the defendants were apprehended promptly after receiving community tips. Smith later died from her injuries, and the charges were increased to murder.
Torres and Soultz, it turns out, were looking for more than just the watch. They were carrying the victim’s credit cards when they were arrested.
In the station house, the now-condemned guy reluctantly accepted his guilt.
“Torres admitted to police that he shot Smith because she ‘disrespected’ him,” the prosecutor’s office stated in a press release.
Soultz was initially more reserved.
“In her statement, Soultz admitted to police that she helped Torres, but she claimed she was forced by Torres to participate in the crimes and that she complied with Torres’ demands out of fear,” according to a release.
However, a further investigation revealed that Soultz sought to assist Torres in evading capture several years later, according to authorities.
When that failed, the calculus for liberty shifted—but also failed.
“After they were apprehended, Soultz and Torres continued their relationship with jail calls revealing that the couple intended to get married,” according to prosecutors. “Recorded jail calls further revealed their plan was for Torres to take responsibility for the crime to allow Soultz to go free.”
